Few people stop to discover a homeless person’s backstory and understand how they came to be living on the streets.
But one Los Angeles hero who befriended the homeless woman who camped out in front of his home went on to do something really heroic for her.
Since Irene “Smokie” McGee’s husband died and she lost her house ten years ago, she has been living on the streets of south Los Angeles.
The 60-year-old woman slept on the ground during the day and gathered recyclables to sell in the evening so that she could afford to eat.
WATCH: A guy in Los Angeles constructs a little house for a homeless lady in New York.
She spent a lot of time sleeping in front of an apartment block, and one of the tenants there eventually befriended her and learnt her tale.
According to local neighbour Elvis Summers, “it’s just not right” that a woman of her age (60) should be sleeping in the dirt.
A little house was constructed in five days after Elvis and Irene became friends and the young guy, unable to bear the sight of Irene sleeping rough night after night, resolved to do something about it.
Using his building expertise, the neighbour purchased $500 worth of lumber, convinced a nearby business to give siding and roofing, and built her a house.
One man’s mission: constructing tiny houses for the homeless in Los Angeles.I just wanted to construct something solid enough to keep her safe and warm.
In just five days, Irene was able to find a place to call home.
Slept for much of the day.
“It felt so good, I was so relaxed, I think I must have slept half the day,” Irene said of her first night in her new 3.5 ft by 8 ft house.
In the video below, you can see Elvis constructing a model microhome.
A true hero, Elvis is. If you know of anybody who is in a worse position than us, please share this with them.
